Tuesday, February 9, 2016

When you go over the things you really want in a Valentine’s
dessert, this ultra-simple zabaglione checks all the boxes. Assuming that your
sweetheart enjoys things like sweet, juicy fruit enveloped in a rich, but
impossibly light custard, this should work out nicely.

I like to use a dry Marsala wine, but sweet Marsala is also
a popular choice. If you use the sweet variety you’ll need to cut down or
eliminate the sugar. If you’re not into
warm wine foams, you can literally use any other flavorful liquid, and the
technique will work the same.

You may need to change the garnish, but things like coffee,
fruit juices, and pretty much any other liquor, or liqueur, will work with this
technique. Experiment, and see what happens. So, whether you make this for that
certain someone this Valentine’s Day, or just for a random weeknight treat, I
really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Dear people who aren't bothering to read the post, yes, literally 1/4 cup on ANY other liquid will work the same. I always use wine, except for once with coffee, so I can't comment on how other versions will taste.

Hello Chef John. I gave this a whirl last night for my Valentine. I followed the recipe and directions to a tee (used a 1/4 cup of Marsala wine) and my liquid and custard were both a caramel colour vs. a creamy yellowish colour and remained a bit runny. I kept the flame on low and kept whisking. Where did I go wrong??

Just made this with grenadine syrup and it turned a bright pink colour!! Perfect for Valentine's day! I omitted the sugar because they syrup is quite sweet. However, the eggy taste was a little off-putting.

I would say that too thin almost always means it was not cooked long enough. It may be worth experimenting, and cook one too long on purpose, to see just how far you can actually go. Try to cook one until very thick and hot, and if you go too far, oh well, at least you have your benchmark. Good luck!

John, I used brandy instead of wine (it's what I had on hand) and the result seemed much more dense than what your video shows. Do you think that's because the higher alcohol per volume content or because I didn't whisk long enough? I've never made this before so I didn't know how long to whisk, and the airiness didn't seem to be improving. Also, I did it over the double boiler instead of an open flame because I don't have a gas stove. I don't think that had an effect though.

LOVE you and the videos. I laugh the whole time I am watching . So I made the Zabaglione last night for my Hubby and made him watch but mine did not turn out like yours. I used 1/4 cup of Blood orange liquor . The taste was good but it was still yellow, lighter than when I began but it was thick . It only made a enough for two shot glasses. any advice?

I tried this on valentine's day. I used chocolate milk for the liquid and had to add an extra egg yolk and beat a little linger... But it was really worth it. That was probably the best dessert I've baked AND eaten ever! Thanks chef John for that recipe. It'll be my go to sexy recipe from now on :)

cooking wines - like Holland House, et al, are not - I repeat NOT - the same as just a regular wine with the same name - they are loaded with sodium, for one thing - now that might work fine for making Chicken Marsala but, yeah - "gross" would have been my guess for a desert treat like this - who puts salt'n'vinegar on ice-cream, for instance?

Anyway, this looks fantastic, and a sure-fire way to get that haven't-quite-got-her-into-bed-yet hard-case to finally cave after I would make this for her!!

I guess I need to invest in some sort of small blow-torch after all ........

I just made this and also saw some of the problems the others had mentioned. I replaced the wine with a mixture of Cointreau and Limoncello, and I had to use a bowl over simmering water because I have no gas stove, and initially I almost ruined it. It turned pasty and tough very quickly, not scrambled egg but a bit like thick pudding paste. I was then able to salvage it adding another egg yolk and more liquid, at which point I was able to get it to the soft looking consistency you got, but much yellower and denser and less in volume. No idea why I was unable to incorporate as much air as you.

The result was something very delicious but only loosely resembling yours and much more compact and un-foamy. Would still make again, with the newly won insights and adjusted expectations.

This is the custard they were talking about in the movie "Secret of The Seal" as a dollar store kids movie I loved it. It is available to watch on youtube if you look it up. I'm going to have to make this and watch this movie. I'm super excited, also love everything you do Chef John.

Chef John videos of pretty humorous I've not tried this recipe yet but I have tried a couple of your recipes. My question is can this be made ahead of time and Frozen such as I use in a restaurant. Thank you chef

Emiliano, this is the traditional (and delicious) version of zabaglione that should be served warm immediately -- it will turn soupy if refrigerated. There's a separate recipe for the chilled version of zabaglione and it calls for the addition of gelatin at the end. Google around and you'll find one.

CHef John: another instant hit. And I'm confident I nailed it on the first try. We have an electric stove so I used a shallow pan with an inch of water at a rolling boil and held the bowl above so the steam would heat the custard as I mixed it. I think using real Marsala wine was the key - perfect balance and not too sweet. Amazing. This is like the 20th recipe of yours we've tried and loved: you're making me into an accomplished chef. Grazie.

I made this dessert for my parents-in-law to celebrate their wedding anniversary for dinner. ( I also made Chicken Marsala, Manicotti and Macaroni Salad from your recipes!)

It all came out great, but my parents-in-law especially liked your Zabaglione recipe. We had it right after dinner and I really liked the torched custard.

Since we didn't have Marsala wine, I used Port instead. It wasn't as beautifully pale yellow as your Zabaglione, but it turned out fragrant and tasty, and it paired wonderfully with the tangy strawberries.

I'd like to give a huge thank you for introducing us to delicious recipes and AS ALWAYS I'm looking forward to your great teaching videos and recipes very much.

As some have noticed - this one does not survive refrigeration. I tried and failed miserably. Prepared it ahead of time but after ~2 hours in the fridge it had turned into wine with egg-curds. Managed to semi-salvage it by whisking it again over simmering water. It got back together but never got the consistency back. Tasted good but way to thin. Next time there will be a break between main course and desert. :)

Hello Chef John.I've watched every video so far (backwards from the most recent one) and will continue my way through, made steak pauline and will make it again, this time with cheater demi glace rather than chicken stock to see if it gets even better... Love your channel!

My question is more general but also specific to this dish: Does this pasteurize the eggs? Do I even need to worry about salmonella nowadays? I always worry about using raw eggs...